With a strong desire to travel and learn, Daiana Leandro moved to the U.S. from Brazil in 2013 as part of a one-year exchange program. Her goal was to familiarize herself with the English language, to better position herself for future travel plans.
When she went back to Brazil, she decided to enroll in university and wanted to incorporate her newly developed English speaking skills into her formal education as well. This prompted her to pursue a bachelor’s degree in international trade.
“I wanted to use language as well because I felt very good about my English language skills and decided to look for a course that would accommodate that skill.”
Beginning her international trade career and meeting her mentor
After moving back to Brazil, Daiana had a few months gap before starting university. She applied for a trainee job in international trade and was hired at Takata, a Japanese auto parts manufacturer. This is where she met Mario, who hired her and would go on to become her mentor. It was with his support and guidance that she transitioned from a trainee to an assistant, and eventually an analyst, towards the end of her four year tenure at Takata.
“I feel that it’s important to have gratitude for the people that support you and actually contribute positively to our growth.”
Once she left Takata, Daiana went on to work for various trade companies. During this time she had the chance to work in customs clearance, logistics management, and import/export operations. This experience gave her deeper insights and more visibility of international business as a whole.
“I was working with more products, and we also worked with customs which are very different, especially in Brazil, because it’s a very protective country. You need to understand lots of legislation to do that, and that was very interesting for me to understand from the inside.”
Switching sides – moving from production to transportation
Next, Daiana began a new role as logistics coordinator with freight forwarding company JAS. This new role placed her on the opposite side of transactions she was used to in her previous roles. Now working on the transportation side, she was able to use the insights she’d gained as the importer/exporter to understand her customers’ challenges with carriers which allowed her to empathize and ultimately better serve them.
“I knew people have limited budgets and I would go over their invoices with them checking every line item that was charged and walking them through how it was charged and why.”
Working in freight also familiarized Daiana with the strict processes and rules that are followed and all the people involved in different stages of these processes. Always with a mind to the possibilities of working abroad, she was pleased to build her know-how in the world of transportation since it’s a knowledge area that transfers well internationally.
Moving to Canada and becoming a certified professional
After having experienced so many great adventures during her stay in the U.S., Daiana and her husband were inspired to look for opportunities to travel and work abroad after completing university. They considered several options for relocation with a particular eye to countries where they would be welcomed and find decent professional opportunities.
Want to learn more about the Certified International Trade Professional (CITP®|FIBP®) designation? See why it’s the world’s most recognized designation for competency and credibility in global business.
During her research, Daiana discovered the FITTskills courses being offered through Nova Scotia Community College’s Advanced Diploma program for International Business, and realized that it lined up with her previous education. She was also attracted to the program by the opportunity to go on to apply for the CITP designation that FITT offers, after earning the FITT Diploma.
“One of my professors used to say that it’s not fair that lawyers study law and can call themselves lawyers. Like people who study medicine and become doctors. And for those of us who study international trade, there’s still too little recognition for us as professionals.”
“I think that having a professional designation is important to back you up. To show that you’re committed to what you’re doing.”
Ulitmately, Daiana has proven exactly that. The hard work she has put into her learning, both on the job and through her education, has helped her become a validated, competent and committed international trade professional.
“The FITTskills courses enhanced my education in international logistics by expanding my understanding of international trade. It provides thorough training in 15 competency areas, creating numerous opportunities for entering the job market or starting an international business.”
She shares that her favorite FITTskills course in was the Feasibility of International Trade course as it helped her pull together all the knowledge and skills she had gained in the past few years through both education and work, to conduct international trade research.
Doubling down on customs specialization and plans for the future
Today, Daiana is putting her skills and knowledge to work as Customer Success Specialist at Ocean Sonics – a manufacturer of hydrophones (microphones used to listen under the water). They have a large clientele worldwide and across a range of industries. Daiana’s role focuses on serving clients on the export side of the business.
“Day to day I don’t only deal with exporting items out, but with returns as well. I work with return naturalization of products that are under warranty. If I ship something to Tasmania and it needs to return to Canada I help customers to return this unit. And I work with customers to provide the best and cheapest option to save money and avoid expensive unexpected costs so that customers pay what’s fair.”
Daiana wants to learn everything that she can about customs processes as she believes that this knowledge is crucial for any business that does international trade. It allows them to smoothly navigate customs and take advantage of whatever’s available. This is why she wants to build on her CITP designation and international business training and become a Certified Customs Specialist.
“I’m in contact with the Canada Broker Association to do another course that’s going to lead me to another designation to become a Certified Customs Specialist. Building an understanding of the whole process will help me bring a lot of value.”
Daiana credits the FITTskills courses she took for providing her with crucial knowledge and hands-on experience to further her international trade career. She has plenty of ambitions for the future and becoming a Certified Customs Specialist and delving into procurement to widen supply options for Ocean Sonics are just the start.
“Many aspire to work in international trade for the travel opportunities, but the reality is that the field encompasses much more. As international trade professionals, we drive global commerce. I truly love my career it is dynamic, exciting and fulfilling.”
Her key piece of advice to anyone starting out in international trade:
“I’ll rephrase something that Mario used to tell me since day one. We never know everything. So that’s the exciting part of the job.”
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